Address the unbearable cost of living – Rawlings tells Mahama

Former President Jerry John Rawlings is demanding that government puts in place measures to address what he calls the unbearable cost of living in the country.

In a brief reaction to the state of the nation address presented by President Mahama in Parliament, Tuesday, the former president said though the report was comprehensive, the government must not lose sight of the suffering that majority of Ghanaians are going through.

President Mahama in the statement said the current economic turbulence the country was experiencing was temporary and would therefore be surmounted soon.

But Mr. Rawlings said government must do more to alleviate the hardship in the country.

“Even though, I thought it was quiet comprehensive… that is not to say that development projects are not taking place. The cost of living is almost unbearable,” former President Rawlings said emphatically, when speaking to Joy News’ Elton John Brobbey.

Present in parliament to listen to the presentation of the state of the nation address were representatives of some political parties. Aspiring general secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyapong and general secretary of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah reacted to the President’s statement.

While Kwabena Agyapong described the president’s statement as virtually lamenting and issuing directives instead of being more action oriented. Bernard Mornah was disappointed in the president for not touching on the issue of lack of medical doctors throughout the country that has stifled effective health delivery in the country.

Sharing his perspective, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bunprugu, Solomon Namliit Boar says the statement is full of promises without having any concrete evidence to show.

However, on his part, MP for North Dayi, George Loh noted that the opposition MPs were not paying attention, but only resorted to making “unnecessary noise to distract the president’s attention”.

According to him, the President in his state of the nation address gave concrete facts on his achievements and backed them with tangible figures.